It is an extremely rainy night here in Chesapeake, VA.I guess our yard will begin to flood with water.Thankfully the Lord has been faithful to keep the water out of our house and garage.He is so good!Maybe this is preparing us for the weather in Kinshasa.The meteorologists are calling for the rain to turn to snow again this weekend.Last weekend we received about 8 inches.Schools were closed until Wednesday.Most churches canceled, or postponed, Sunday services. The city did a great job of plowing, sanding, and salting the major roadways, but secondary streets waited for the sun to do its thing.Our area just does not get enough snow throughout the year to warrant the cost of additional equipment, as it would set idle most years.So, I am not complaining.Cindy and I stayed in last weekend except for the times of shoveling and salting our drive and sidewalks, as well as our folks’.I made a big pot of bean and ham soup on Saturday using a couple of frozen ham bones from Christmas meals.It was nice to come in from the cold to the smell of soup simmering on the range. Today DC has declared a blizzard.Northern VA and the upper parts of the Peninsula are getting flurries and the Western parts of VA and NC have been getting pounded with snow all day.I moved from WI 25 years ago to get away from the life in a winter climate.In less than five weeks, Cindy and I will be in DR Congo, where we won’t have to deal with snow.The weather will be hot, humid, and rainy during parts of the year.I have never spent more than two weeks in an equatorial climate, and never experienced a “rainy season”.It should be exciting. We purchased our tickets to Congo today.We will be leaving 10 March, 2010 from Norfolk to Kinshasa, via DC and Brussels.WOW!That is less than five weeks away.Very exciting, yet somewhat scary, if you know what I mean.We still have a lot to do before we leave.We have yet to find someone to rent our home while we are away.We are believing that the Lord is wanting to bless some family with a furnished home.We have had a few people interested in renting unfurnished, which is an option if they would agree to pay the storage fees for our furniture.That does not seem to interest anyone.If it is the Lord’s will, He will provide.Maybe He is planning on providing extra financial donors that will compensate for a lower rent on our house.We are flexible to whatever His will is. One of the other major stresses for us at this point is that we have not found a caretaker for our two cats, Grace and Sarah.Our secret desire is that whoever rents our home will take the cats too.Will you stand in prayer with us that a loving family will seek out Grace and Sarah? Cindy and I went to the eye doctor today.Her vision is still within her current lens prescription.Mine is a little more off, so I am getting a new pair of glasses.I will use my current glasses as backups, or working glasses.Although, when I work, I usually just wear safety glasses that have reading bifocals on the bottom.They are not perfect, but acceptable. Please keep us in your prayers as we make our final preparations to head to the wonder continent of Africa.Pray that our family will receive peace in our departure.Pray for God’s will to be done about our house and cats.Pray for additional monthly donors to join our mission.Remember that this is an interactive blog, so your comments are welcome.Or you may email us, or contact us by Skype.